Don't go provoke him again!

In the Grand Elder's courtyard, Xiao Ning was jolted awake by the pain.

"Hiss!"

Xiao Ning sat up in a panic, staring blankly at his surroundings.

His memory was fragmented.

The final image in his mind was of himself being pinned down and beaten mercilessly.

The subsequent events were so gruesome that they felt unreal, as if he had been trapped in a nightmare.

Creak!

The Grand Elder walked in carrying a box of ointment. Whether it was a trick of the light or not, Xiao Ning felt that his grandfather's face looked excessively pale today.

"Grandfather—hiss!"

Xiao Ning had barely opened his mouth before the movement aggravated the injuries on his head, causing him to gasp and tears to well up in his eyes from the pain.

"Don't speak yet, lest you aggravate the wounds on your head."

The Grand Elder applied the ointment to Xiao Ning's head, which finally brought him some relief.

Although Xiao Ze had used his Dou Qi to cover Xiao Ning's head in bumps, he had no intention of killing him or inflicting truly grievous injuries.

However, a bit of intimidation and a lesson were necessary!

Xiao Ze had deliberately used his Dou Qi to create these bumps, which were both difficult to heal and exceptionally painful.

Even with medical treatment, Xiao Ning would have to endure the pain for the next few days and live with a head swollen like a pig's.

"Grandfather, what exactly happened? Did that guy Xiao Ze get punished for hitting me?"

The moment the Grand Elder finished applying the ointment, Xiao Ning asked impatiently.

This drew a strange look from the Grand Elder.

"You don't remember what happened at the Dou Technique Pavilion?"

Xiao Ning froze, then began to search his memory.

"I remember being pinned down and beaten by him. I don't know if it was because of the pain, but I had a hallucination—I actually saw you fighting the Clan Head..."

"It wasn't a hallucination!"

The Grand Elder interrupted him. Xiao Ning's eyes filled with astonishment, and he looked at the Grand Elder with concern.

"Grandfather, you aren't hurt, are you? The Clan Head is a five-star Dou Grandmaster!"

"It is nothing serious." The Grand Elder shook his head.

"Then, Grandfather, you still haven't told me: did Xiao Ze receive any punishment?"

Xiao Ning remained fixated on Xiao Ze. Even though his grandfather had applied the ointment, he could still feel the throbbing pain in his head.

He didn't need a mirror to know what he looked like; he was surely a giant pig-headed mess.

To say Xiao Ning didn't resent Xiao Ze would be impossible!

Hearing this, the Grand Elder sat up straight, looked at Xiao Ning, and said sternly, "He did not receive any punishment, and you are not to provoke him again in the future!"

"Ah? Why? Grandfather, you are the Grand Elder—you must take revenge for me!"

Xiao Ning found it hard to believe. Usually, the Grand Elder doted on him immensely.

How could he say such things now, and even tell him not to provoke Xiao Ze?

"I have temporarily resigned from my position as Grand Elder... Sigh, Xiao Ning, it is time for you to grow up."

The Grand Elder sighed, speaking to Xiao Ning with earnest gravity.

During the time Xiao Ning was unconscious, the Grand Elder had prepared the ointment while watching his grandson lie in bed, his heart aching with pity.

However, he had also come to a realization.

Now that Xiao Zhan had a genius son like Xiao Ze, his influence within the clan was immense; there was no point in trying to vie for power with him anymore.

Since he had already been stripped of the Grand Elder position, he might as well lie low and avoid causing any more trouble.

After some time, if he could contribute a merit or two to the Xiao Clan, he might be able to reclaim his position.

But if he continued to oppose Xiao Zhan, having his cultivation crippled or being expelled from the Xiao Clan would likely be the lightest of punishments.

Xiao Ning was unaware of the Grand Elder's internal shift.

When he heard that his grandfather was no longer the Grand Elder, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning, sitting there completely stunned.

"How is that possible? The Clan Head shouldn't be able to strip the Grand Elder of his position so easily, right?"

Xiao Ning said in shock. The Grand Elder patted his shoulder, urging him to calm down.

Then, he slowly recounted what had transpired in the Dou Technique Pavilion after Xiao Ning had lost consciousness.

"Xiao Ze is a nine-star Dou Practitioner!!!"

Xiao Ning let out a startled cry, unable to help but touch his own head.

He had actually survived a punch from a nine-star Dou Practitioner?

As Xiao Ning regained his senses, a realization dawned on him.

It wasn't that Xiao Ze couldn't do it, but rather that Xiao Ze was only giving him a lesson and had no intention of taking his life.

Xiao Ning felt incredibly fortunate in his heart; Xiao Ze still cared about the bonds of their clan!

Otherwise, he probably wouldn't even be able to see his grandfather right now!

The resentment he felt toward Xiao Ze for beating him into a pig's head quickly vanished.

"Can't provoke him, really can't provoke him!"

Xiao Ning couldn't help but mutter, and the Grand Elder's eyes showed relief upon hearing this.

The Grand Elder was currently terrified that his grandson would be unable to let go and insist on setting himself against Xiao Ze.

"That's right, Xiao Ze is someone you absolutely cannot provoke. For now, I have only temporarily lost my position as Grand Elder."

The Grand Elder advised him earnestly.

"In the future, as long as you behave well, it is not impossible for me to return to the position of Grand Elder."

"As long as Xiao Ze grows up in the future, our Xiao Clan will surely achieve greater development."

"When that time comes, relying on the position of Grand Elder, I will certainly be able to secure more cultivation resources for you."

"You must also strive to do well, work hard on your cultivation, and stop being idle."

Looking at the Grand Elder's face, which seemed to have aged several years, Xiao Ning's eyes reddened, and he felt a sourness in his nose.

His grandfather had sacrificed so much for him, enduring humiliation and even having to curry favor with Xiao Ze!

He could no longer be willful and reckless; he had to listen to his grandfather!

"I understand, Grandfather. I will absolutely never provoke Xiao Ze again, and when I find an opportunity, I will apologize to Xiao Yan as well!"

The Grand Elder took the opportunity to say, "If you could ask Xiao Yan to put in a good word for you and salvage your image in Xiao Ze's eyes, that would be even better."

"Yes!" Xiao Ning nodded solemnly.

Now, guided by his grandfather, he also understood that Xiao Ze was the hope for the Xiao Clan's future rise.

Clinging tightly to this powerful figure was absolutely the right move!

"Alright, rest for a while longer. You are not allowed to go out until the injury on your head has healed!"

The Grand Elder helped Xiao Ning lie down, and Xiao Ning seemed to have matured through this incident.

He nodded obediently and lay quietly on the bed.

Back Mountain.

Xiao Ze's figure flashed, dodging Xiao Xun'er's attack.

"Alright, let's stop here for today. Too much is as bad as too little."

Hearing Xiao Ze's words, Xiao Xun'er let out a long breath. After the intense sparring, she was already drenched in fragrant sweat.

"Brother Xiao Ze, I feel that my mastery of the Swallow Return Strike has improved a lot."

"Good, strive to master the Swallow Return Strike to perfection as soon as possible. It is better to be proficient in one thing than to be mediocre in a hundred. As a Xuan-tier high-level Dou Technique, the Swallow Return Strike is enough to challenge those of higher levels or even higher ranks."

After Xiao Ze finished speaking, he took a box from a hidden corner. Opening it, he revealed some common seasonings for roasting meat.

"Are we having roasted meat today?"

"Yes. Xun'er, go and see if that nest of rabbits nearby has had another litter, and catch one or two."

"Understood!"

Xiao Xun'er said playfully. Her figure moved like a nimble butterfly, leaping toward the other end of the woods.

Xiao Ze remained where he was, preparing to roast the rabbits.

The rabbits in the Xiao Clan's back mountain often became a plague, sometimes requiring the Xiao Clan disciples to be specifically dispatched to clear them out.

After all, rabbits gave birth to large litters and had short reproductive cycles; without natural predators, the population could easily explode.

Xiao Ze often brought Xiao Xun'er to the back mountain to catch rabbits and roast them.

It could be considered reducing the burden for the Xiao Clan disciples.

Before long, Xiao Xun'er returned, holding a rabbit by the ears in each hand.

One rabbit was kicking its legs, while the other had a dazed look in its eyes.

Seeing this, Xiao Ze couldn't help but laugh, recalling a familiar poem.

"The male rabbit kicks its legs, the female rabbit has dazed eyes."

Of course, both male and female rabbits would kick their legs and have dazed eyes; one could not judge their sex based on that.

Xiao Ze took them over and, after a brief inspection, confirmed that both were indeed female.

His movements in preparing the rabbits were extremely practiced.

Not long after, two skinned rabbits were already set over the fire.

As the flames roasted them, a layer of golden grease seeped from the skin, dripping onto the fire and emitting a sizzling sound.

As dusk approached, the light in the woods grew dim, leaving only the firelight reflecting upon their faces.

Xiao Ze focused intently on roasting the rabbits, while Xiao Xun'er sat quietly to the side, her eyes slightly narrowed as she simply watched him.

Aside from the chirping of insects and birds, the only sounds in the surroundings were the crackling and popping of the burning firewood.

It was somewhat noisy, yet it made the two of them feel incredibly warm and at peace.

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(End of chapter)